Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Brune speaks to over 100 Tampa Bay supporters under the solar panels at the net-zero office of Sierra Club near downtown St. Petersburg.Photos by Marcia Biggs

Florida Sierra Club welcomed national Sierra Club executive
director Michael Brune in March to kick-off the club’s Ready for 100 Clean Energy for All campaign
in St. Petersburg and Miami. The nationwide campaign is encouraging 100 cities in the Unites
States to commit to working toward sustainability and 100% clean energy.

On March 22, Brune was greeted by more than 100 Tampa Bay
supportersat the Sierra Club net-zero
office building near downtown St. Petersburg. Attending the morning press
conference and open house were many local dignitaries, public officials,
business leaders and club members.

In January, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman signed on to
a Declaration of Local Leadership which
reaffirms a commitment to advance climate action and boost the local clean
energy economy. Kriseman was in Cuba so
was unable to attend, however the St. Petersburg Sustainability Coordinator
Sharon Wright spoke on his behalf. Also speaking were chair of the Pinellas
Suncoast Transit Authority and city council member Darden Rice, the owner of
the net-zero building which houses the Sierra Club office Tom Hall, and
Suncoast Chair Lisa Hinton.

“For the first time in history, we can build our
civilization with power that is 100% safe, 100% secure and 100% sustainable,”
Brune told the audience under the shade of a solar array covering the parking
area. “We are part of an amazing movement together that is teaching our country
and the rest of the world how to power their economy with clean energy.”

“The Executive Order
the Mayor signed in 2015 includes aggressive goals like zero waste and net zero
energy, so partnering as a leader with the Sierra Club and other cities for the
Ready for 100 campaign is sensible step,” Sharon Wright proclaimed.

The next evening, nearly 150 community leaders and the mayors of six South Florida cities gathered in Miami to meet Brune as he launched Miami "Ready For 100" campaign, urging all Miami-Dade County mayors to lead the way with commitments to 100% clean energy.

An impressive lineup of Southeast Florida public officials and business leaders came to Miami to listen to Brune.Photo by Greg Hamra

Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado/ Photo bySteve Malagodi

“Miami is at the forefront of climate change and sea level rise in the United States, and in South Florida climate change is increasingly not a political issue -- it’s a survival issue. It will affect Miami’s neighborhoods, tourism industry, drinking water, and way of life. But the greatest energy resource here is right over our heads. The sun can power this city and create thousands of jobs in the process,” Brune told the audience.

The Mayors of Miami, Pinecrest, South Miami, Key Biscayne, Palmetto Bay, and Cutler Bay, as well as other public officials and city leaders, all joined forces at the event to say it’s time to shine a clean energy spotlight on South Florida.

Clean energy has hit its stride, with solar prices falling 80% in recent years, and the solar industry now employing over 200,000 people -- nearly twice as many people as the coal mining industry. According to the recent Solar Jobs Census, the solar industry grew 12 times faster than the overall economy last year. Stanford scientists say the transition to 100% renewable energy will save the average American family $260 dollars per year in energy costs and another $1,500 per year in health care costs.

Florida currently has 6,500 solar jobs, and is ranked 8th in the nation, after states like Massachusetts (15,000 solar jobs) and California (75,000 solar jobs). Major brands such as IKEA, Whole Foods and Apple and Intel have already made strides to move their companies to 100% clean energy. With cities and businesses leading the way, 100% clean energy is becoming the new standard for climate leadership.